BULLDOGS RETURN TO NEC ACTION AT MONMOUTH WEDNESDAY NIGHT (7 PM)

Jan. 4, 2011

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – The Bryant University women's basketball team returns to Northeast Conference action Wednesday night as they take on Monmouth at 7:00 p.m. at the Multipurpose Activity Center. The Bulldogs (3-9) opened 2011 with a 66-55 loss at Army Monday afternoon while the Hawks finished nonconference play with a record of 8-3 after downing Binghampton, 60-51, on Friday. Follow Wednesday's game through 'live stats' or a video webcast by logging on to www.gomuhawks.com.

BRYANT LAST TIME OUT
Senior Siamone Bennett (Newburgh, N.Y.) scored 12 points and added eight rebounds for the near double-double but it was not enough to hold off the sharpshooting Black Knights as the Bryant University women's basketball team fell at Army, 66-55, Monday at Christl Arena.

The Black Knights benefited from a big first half as they shot 70 percent from beyond the arc to establish a strong lead while senior Erin Anthony led all scorers with 19 points. Army went on to shoot 60 percent from 3-point range in the contest and had a total of four players in double figures.    

Freshman Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) also had a strong game for the Bulldogs (3-9) as she scored all 13 of her points in the second half to keep the pressure on the home squad. Freshman Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ontario) contributed with eight points and seven rebounds off the bench. As a team, the Bulldogs shot 36 percent from the floor in the contest and outrebounded the Black Knights by a margin of 40-32.     

THE SERIES
Wednesday's game will be the fourth meeting ever between the Bulldogs and Hawks, and the third road game of the series for the Bulldogs, as the two programs have met every season since Bryant made the transition to Division I in 2008. Bryant holds a 2-1 series record with both victories coming last season including a 63-50 win on Jan. 30 at the Chace Athletic Center. In that game, then-freshman Meredith Soper (Winthrop, Mass.) recorded 11 rebounds while then-junior Bennett registered a game-high 16 points.

SCOUTING THE HAWKS
Monmouth is 9-3 on the season after splitting a pair of games at the Hawk Holiday Classic last week including a win over Binghamton on Friday. The Hawks, members of the Northeast Conference, are averaging 62.6 points per game and allowing 58.0 ppg. Sophomore Alysha Womack leads the team with 14.8 points per game while junior Alexis Canady is also in double figures with 10.0 ppg. Sophomore Abby Martin is the team's top rebounder with 6.9 boards per contest. Wednesday's game will be the second conference game of the season for the Hawks after a 56-43 win over Central Connecticut State in December.   

BRYANT vs. THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
Now in their third year at the Division I level, the Bulldogs have put together a 16-15 record against members of the Northeast Conference since 2008. In two years, Bryant has yet to have a losing record against the NEC after going 6-6 in its inaugural DI season and 10-8 last winter. Additionally, the Bulldogs closed out the NEC slate in strong fashion last season, winning nine out of their final 15 contests. The Black and Gold dropped their first NEC game of the season on Dec. 9, 2010 when they fell at Fairleigh Dickinson, 58-48, despite a game-high 19 points from Danielle Douglas.  

COMMON DENOMINATORS
The Bulldogs and the Hawks have faced off against two common opponents this season in Lafayette and Brown. Monmouth knocked off Lafayette, 68-54, but fell to Brown, 75-71, in the first round of the Monmouth Holiday Classic while Bryant dropped both contests at Lafayette and Brown, 84-80 in overtime, and 57-49, respectively.

UP NEXT
The Black and Gold resume Northeast Conference play on Jan. 8 when they return to Smithfield, R.I. for a home game against St. Francis (NY) at 1:00 p.m.